The Cloud Came to the Mojave
by ougabouga
Summary: The Courier and Elijah begin their plan to wipe the Mojave's slate clean by unleashing the Cloud unto the Mojave. Will the Mojave be saved or damned?
1. Chapter 1

**The Cloud Came to the Mojave**

Chapter 1

They had to die. All of them. Every last single one of them. From the poshest White Glove to the lowliest Rad Roach. The world was burning and all they were doing was pouring gasoline on the flames. It was time to extinguish the flames before a massive conflagration consumed the world again. The weak were contaminating the world. It was time for the strong to arise. It was time to extinguish the fire, to silence the noise, to wipe the slate clean. Today, it would begin.

Centurion Scipio Africanus didn't believe his eyes. Squinting through the binoculars, he'd never seen anything like this. He'd seen hundreds of dust storms, none ever looked quite like this. It was advancing slowly, inexorably, unnaturally. A crimson cloud. Countless miles wide and high. It rose in the horizon like a great wall of dust. In the afternoon it blocked out the sun. It would be upon them in a few days time at the most. He'd sent three patrols of a dozen legionaries each to investigate. Now he saw three returning to their encampment, hobbling. They had no visible wounds, their weapons unstained.

He met them at the perimeter gates. The three of them were coughing violently, their entire bodies convulsed with each cough, rippling like waves of a tsunami through calm seas. Other legionaries dragged them to the medical tent. They were placed on picnic tables, ersatz operating tables. Scipio Africanus watched from afar. He wanted, needed, a report. But these men were barely breathing, getting a report out of them would be nigh impossible.

The medic hovered above the man nearest to Scipio. The Recruit turned his head aside and began violently vomiting, a strange, crimson coloured, yet oddly powdery substance regurgitated out of his mouth. His body shook with each convulsion, like he was being shocked with a thousand volts. A pungent smell of stale sweat, urine and something that smelled oddly like copper filled the room. His skin was stained with patches of a crimson coloured powder.

"Remove his clothes!"

Other Recruits held the man's extremities down. Scipio watched as a few men tried unsuccessfully to remove the recruit's clothes. They tugged but the clothes didn't move.

"Get a knife! Cut his clothes off!"

Machetes weren't exactly in short supply.

The medic made what seemed like a delicate incision on the legionary's tunic, from the throat and descending downwards. The man screamed. Vomit and phlegm fused with his agonized cries. Scipio watched with horror as the doctor peeled the recruit's clothes. The recruit's skin had fused to his uniform; by peeling his uniform the doctor was flaying him. The recruit's raw flesh was exposed to the air. There were traces of green ooze in the man's flesh.

Scipio was a veteran of countless skirmishes and battles. He'd survived the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, he'd survived three of Legate Lanius' decimations and he'd survived taking an NCR sniper's bullet. Yet nothing had ever terrified him as what he was seeing now. This was the third patrol he'd sent out to investigate the strange cloud. This was the first to return. Whatever was in that cloud, or if it was the cloud itself, was the biggest threat they'd ever faced.

"Thank you for your report, Centurion. Wait here. I will brief Caesar. Further instructions will arrive."

Vulpes Inculata's steady gaze and calm voice never ceased to unnerve him. Scipio Africanus waited outside the steps of the Lucky 38. Once this had been the abode of Mr. House, the previous leader of Vegas. Now it belonged to mighty Caesar. He'd heard this city had once been the capital of decadent debauchery, now it was something more austere. There were a few drunkards and gamblers walking through the strip, but they were subdued, nervous. The Strip was patrolled by the Omertas. Legionaries were only allowed onto the Strip on official duties. Any legionary caught gambling or drinking would find themselves lashed onto a cross.

"It's just a fucking dust storm! Nothing more!"

Vulpes remained immobile, unreadable.

"Mighty Caesar, I believe this is far more than a dust storm. A dust storm wouldn't kill dozens of legionaries. Nor would it cause the... sickness described."

Caesar breathed in deeply. Triumph and good health had not cured an ill temper. Nor did it cure him of the stress of being a head of state. The NCR was fighting him tooth and nail. Every day legionaries were being ambushed or sniped by NCR Rangers. Mojave Outpost was a dangerous area, now heavily fortified. General Hsu was a far better strategist and tactician than Oliver had been.

But this cloud was a foe of entirely different composition. He'd once known a mercenary, a courier, whose contributions to the Legion's victory had been essential. There were only two men he'd ever feared in his life. One was Joshua Graham. The other was this courier, Sentenza. His blue eyes filled with hate and rage. His words littered with contempt for all who beheld him. He'd helped the Legion not out of belief for their cause, but because the Legion's victory would cause the most destruction, the most death. He hadn't seen him since the Battle for Hoover Dam. No one had seen him since then. He'd been a useful, if dangerous and unpredictable, tool.

"Perhaps you're right, Vulples. That courier fellow would be the right sort to set to this task. Don't you think?"

"I concur. However, his whereabouts are a complete mystery."

There was a long, ponderous silence.

"For now, continue to observe this cloud. Report any changes in its trajectory. Perhaps it'll blow over."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Sentenza glared at himself in the broken mirror. Staring back at him was a round, hardened face, pockmarked with scars and lines of middle age. If he hadn't shaved his head, greyness would've appeared by now. Plugging the sink, he poured a bottle of purified water and splashed it on his face. It cooled his face and soothed his nerves. He wondered what his father, whoever he was, would think of him now, what he was doing. Thoughts like these didn't often occur to him, they were more current in his youth and adolescence, when he cared about such things.

He'd come a long way. He'd been a drifter all his life. His mother had told him he was born in Shady Sands, but what did she know? Doped up on chems all the time, selling her body to the lowest bidder, half of what she said was lies, the other half were delusional ramblings born of delirium. Bare-Knuckle Boxing was his first calling. That's where his name came from. His promoter said it meant sentence or verdict in Spanish, but he was as Hispanic as Instamash. Fighting came naturally to him; he enjoyed beating up people, especially those weaklings unable to defend themselves. He became a fighter of great renown, merciless, dirty. He caught his promoter milking his winnings, so he beat him to death. That hadn't surprised him. Everyone was trying to backstab everyone else. That's just how people were. You had to stab back, otherwise you wouldn't survive. A wanted man, he fled the NCR and came to the Mojave. He found work was a courier and the rest was history.

He stepped away from the sink and entered the bedroom. The bedroom had once belonged to Vera Keyes, now it belonged to him and his concubine, Sarah Weintraub. She was sleeping peacefully, naked except for the collar around her neck. Giving her a collar had improved her mood of late, not much, but enough that she was able to satisfy his needs and freed of her compulsion to escape. That's all that mattered. The room was spacious, luxurious, comfortable. Every trace of its previous occupant had been removed except for Vera's last words, still inscribed on the wall above the bed: "Let go".

He grabbed a couple of items from the dresser and left the bedroom and walked down the hall. The Suites of the Madre had been improved, cleared of debris and corpses. Some areas were still impassable due to the Cloud seeping through. More and more of it was leaking in. Elijah's room was further away. He came to the entrance of his bedroom. He closed his eyes and listened. Elijah's hoarse breathing was laboured but rhythmic. The old man was asleep for once.

The man's room was packed with computer terminals, linked to terminals in the Big Empty, monitoring, controlling the progress of the Cloud. Soon it would enshroud the Mojave, and the areas beyond, allowing the slate to be wiped fully clean. Around the bed were scores of finished cigarettes, empty scotch bottles, empty mentat packs, empty Med-X syringes. The room stank a noxious fusion of body odour, tobacco and alcohol.

He stepped forward gingerly, the carpet absorbing the sound of his footsteps. He took a step towards the bed and waited. Elijah sleepily exhaled and inhaled three times. He took another step. Three more times Elijah inhaled and exhaled. Another step. He was at the bed now. He held the device before him. In a fluid motion he placed the collar around Elijah's neck and snapped it into place.

Elijah awakened groggily and stirred.

"Whhhh...what the?"

Sentenza back away and flicked the lights on. Elijah was confused, disoriented, drunk.

"I gave you present, father." Sentenza mocked.

Elijah's angry, mad eyes focused on him. Then those eyes looked around, feeling for the first time the device around his neck. His eyes turned towards him, full of accusatory rage.

"YOU!" He bellowed.

"How's it feel to wake up with a bomb collar around your neck?"

"You...You think you can...trick me?"

Elijah stirred, about to stand up. Sentenza lifted a device in his hand, the detonator.

"I don't think so."

"If I can get close enough to you, it'll take the both of us out!"

"That's a big If. You're drunk, tired, arthritis is affecting every bone in your old body. You've probably got lung cancer by now. What is it you said to me the first time we met? Play stupid, play clever, make the mistake of saying no? Then that collar will go off and take your head with it!"

Elijah glared at him; irony was as sharp as any dagger. "What do you want?"

"Right now, I just want you to know what's it like to have a bomb around your neck. I'm not cruel. If I was, I'd ask you to some suicidal task. But I'm not. Instead, I'm just going to kill you using the tools you gave me."

Sentenza grabbed his Holorilfe and aimed it at Elijah. The old man's lip quivered and though he tried to look defiant, he could see the sorrow of defeat in the old man's eyes. The look brought a wide smile to Sentenza's face.

"You sick bastard!"

"That's a big compliment from you!"

"You'll never manage without me! You need me!"

"I'll do fine. The Mojave will do fine."

Sentenza aimed through the gunsight, even though it wasn't necessary.

Elijah put his arms up, begging for mercy.

"Please... Don't..."

"Shhhh." Sentenza whispered, his finger gently pulling back on the trigger. "I'm wiping the slate clean."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sentenza left the Sierra Madre that morning. Sarah, Rex, ED-E and a modified Securitron were in tow. The Ghost People had learned enough of ED-E and Rex' behavior that they stayed out of their way. He hoped he would never see this place again. It had served its purpose. They were relocating to their new home, Helios One. He'd modified the Securitron into a pack-Brahmin using spares from a couple of Securitrons. It scarcely resembled the machines designed by Mr. House. It resembled a motorized shopping cart, though it still maintained a couple of weapons.

It was carrying a couple of Sierra Madre Vending Machines dozens of portable holo-emitters and weapons. His rucksack was loaded with food and other supplies. Sarah was carrying some clothes and food in her pack. ED-E and Rex were carrying no extra cargo. There was no real need to overpack. He'd established supply caches all over the Mojave: the abandoned bunker where his adventure to the Madre had begun, a shack south of Novac near a Deathclaw-infested Cave and Ulysses' old Bighorner Ranch among others.

"Aren't you glad we're moving to a new home?" He mocked Sarah.

She said nothing, staring down at the ground, paying little attention to where she walked.

"Why so glum, chum?"

Her silence persisted. He grabbed her from behind and spun her so she was facing him. She looked away, afraid to look in his lupine eyes. Eyes that haunted her wide awake nightmare. He gently touched her cheek with his finger. She flinched away but he held her.

"Come now. I almost think you don't love me, anymore."

She shook her head with some vigour.

"So you do love me?"

She nodded weakly, fighting back tears.

"Good. I'd hate to think you've lost that loving feeling. 'Cause if you did, well, I think I'd have to blow your head off and mail it to your brother. Let's go sweetie, we don't want to the Ghost People to think we're tourists, do we?"

It was dusk before they reached the outskirts of New Vegas. The Cloud could be seen from here, though it was several miles southward of their position, it was poised to sweep into the Mojave near Cottonwood Cove and spread from there. He was hoping the impending arrival of the Cloud would cause enough of a distraction that they could travel to Helios One undetected.

They made camp outside Raul's vacant shack. They had a dinner of Mantis Steak and water. Sarah looked longingly at the lights and the towers of the Strip. So close, yet so far. Had it only been a few weeks? A few weeks ago she was tending the shop in Vault 21 as usual. The courier came in one day, charming as ever, with even more vault suits for her. After having a roll in the hay, he told her there was a place they could run away to, a safe place where they could live forever without having to worry about the Legion or the NCR. It sounded like a wonderful idea. Only he'd been lying with his forked tongue.

She had a bad feeling the moment she first saw the cloud and the Sierra Madre Casino, it loomed over the countryside like the shadow of an angry colossus. It only got worse once they made it to the Villa, sneaking around. She saw him kill one of those... things, it moved eerily and the green ooze that burst out of its severed head made her throw up.

Once in the casino, they had dinner in the Tampico with an old, terrible man named Elijah, surrounded by holograms clapping to recorded performances of Dean Domino and Vera Keyes. They talked openly of their plans to kill everyone in the Mojave. She couldn't believe this man she'd accepted as her lover was a monster. How easily he'd played her, like she was a child. The first night... The way his eyes bore into hers as he mounted her...She wanted to forget all about the first night, and the night after that, and the night after that...

The night sky was cloudless and full of stars. They avoided the road for the most part; the Securitron managed the terrain passably. In the darkness he could see the odd Legion patrol patrolling the roads. They passed the odd camp fire, where NCR traders had once tended shop.

They were more cautious as they neared Helios One. Using his night vision helmet, Sentenza couldn't see any Legion presence around Helios One. It wouldn't be like Caesar to expose his Legionaries to temptations. Previous scouting trips hadn't disabused him of this notion. However, it was close to Novac, the settlement had become a popular stopover for Legion personnel. Jeanie May Crawford was an obliging host.

They ran along the fence until they came to the entrance of Helios One. Reaching in his pack, he pulled out a holo-emitter. He and Elijah had tinkered with these, making them more durable and difficult to detect. Out of his pocket he pulled out a couple of necklaces. He put one around his neck and the other around Sarah's, it fit with some difficulty.

"This will keep the holograms from attacking you."

He stuck the emitter on the wall of Helios One, he'd created an adhesive using Wonderglue and Duct Tape that was just about impossible to break. He pulled a ripcord which activated the emitter. There was a beep, indicating it was active. It detected no enemy IFF's so no hologram showed itself.

They entered Helios One. Once inside Sentenza knew something was wrong. Rex began growling.

"Someone's here." He whispered to Sarah. "Stay here." She nodded and huddled in the corner, looking as scared as she was despondent.

He dropped his rucksack and readied his Holorifle in search of the intruders.

Quietly he, Rex and Ed-E filed out into the corridor on the right. He went down until he came to the makeshift barracks used by the NCR. The door was closed. Gingerly he turned the knock and pushed the door open. Using his night vision he could see all of the bunk beds were occupied. They looked like Vipers. He pulled out a Bowie Knife, the one he'd picked up in the Courier's Mile, and stealthily killed all of them.

He sheathed his knife and pulled out his Holorifle. He had a feeling there were still more Vipers around, it wasn't like them to sleep without leaving someone on guard duty. As he left the room Rex barked and charged around the corner. ED-E's battle music began blaring. A gunshot rang out followed by pained screams. He heard more shouts. Rounding the corner he saw a Viper gang member having his throat ripped out by Rex. Further down the hallway, where he'd met Mr. Fantastically Annoying, a handful of Viper's were storming out. He and ED-E laid down a barrage of fire that quickly incinerated the invading presence.

He sighed, knowing he'd have to drag these bodies outside. Never a fun task.

"Hey! I got your woman punk!" He heard someone shout from behind him.

He turned and saw a Viper holding Sarah in front of him like a human shield, a switchblade pressing against her throat. Sarah's eyes were closed but she seemed oddly calm, as if she would welcome the blade slicing her throat.

"Let me leave and I won't kill her."

"You think I value her life?" Sentenza laughed. "Go ahead, cut her throat."

The Viper's eyes reeked of panic. He looked around, for a place to escape. He wasn't counting on his bluff being called. His eyes fixed on ED-E floating above.

"If you kill her, I will kill you. If you let her go, I might let you live."

The Viper remained immobile, undecided.

Sentenza sighed, as if out of boredom.

"ED-E? Will you do the honours?"

ED-E fired its laser at the Viper, the perfectly aimed shot killed him instantly. Sarah screamed as the thug fell away from her. She stared at Sentenza.

"You... would've let him... kill me?"

"I'd have preferred it if he didn't. We have so much fun together, don't we? I was just calling his bluff. Come on, we got some work to do."

He walked past her. When he rounded the corner Sarah bent down and picked up the switchblade that had threatened to end her life. Then she joined him in cleaning duties.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

Scipio Africanus awakened. It wasn't quite dawn. He looked to the South and the South East, where the Cloud was to be seen. It had been hanging back the past two days, almost immobile but it pulsated and swayed, like waves in the water. It unnerved him and his men. Last night a man had been attacked by a Fire Gecko because he'd been watching the Cloud. Everyone was sleeping with their uniforms on, if they slept at all. They'd all seen what had happened to the Legionaries who'd come back from the Cloud. No one had deserted. Yet.

A wind blew. At first it was barely noticeable, like the gentle caress of a feather. Scipio barely noticed the light ripples on the waters of the Colorado River. Then dust started to blow. Weakly at first, but increasing in strength and volume. He knew something was awry. He turned to his Decanus. "Muster the men!"

The Decanus turned and rang the bell. Cottonwood Cove stirred, and it wasn't just the men. The wind was blowing more strongly. Scipio had to lean against the wind. His men struggled to assemble into formation. He looked and the cloud was coming much closer.

"We have new orders. We are to relocate to Novac. Take no belongings other than what you're carrying now. We leave now we great speed!"

His men began running up the hill, following the road. He could smell copper in the air but the Cloud wasn't upon them, yet. If they could make Novac in an hour or so they would escape the worst of it. But that was only if the wind didn't further increase in speed, or if they didn't run into any obstacles on the way. He had to notify Caesar, and he would, but he didn't want to risk staying behind and getting caught in the cloud, nor did he want to sentence one of his men to death that way.

Sarah had rarely seen Sentenza so excited. Well, when he was faking being a normal human being he was like that. But there was genuine happiness in him now. A bounce in his step. He was almost tolerable. He was singing some old pre-war tune she'd never heard before. He wasn't being mean to her, though she did have to take him inside her this morning he wasn't as rough as he normally was. She found the courage to ask him why he was so happy. She was hesitant, afraid asking him might spoil his mood.

"Because today's the day the Cloud comes to the Mojave!"

Sarah was appalled. All these people who lived here, friends, customers, strangers, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers would die. And he was rejoicing this.

"I'm going outside up on the Observation deck to get a good view. Later alligator."

He left her alone. Sarah sighed sadly. Reaching under the mattress she retrieved a switchblade. She pressed the dull side of the blade against her flesh. The blade felt cool against her skin. Did she have the strength to end it all now? It wouldn't take much effort, just a flick of the wrist, like she was slicing an onion. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. She put the knife away.

It was some relief that Sentenza was gone. He'd been in and out since their arrival here, "running errands" as he put it. She was still here, imprisoned. He'd set up radio transmitters near all the exits, making escape a suicidal effort. But that he was gone, and that gave her some peace. She put on some clothes, her old Vault 21 outfit. Sentenza didn't like her to be clothed; wearing clothes was a small but not insignificant an act of rebellion. She got up and walked around the facility.

She was given some free reign to walk around. The exits were off limits, as was the control room were dozens of computer terminals were set up. A couple of Mr. Gutsy's maintained a patrol around the facility, and there were holo-emitters scattered throughout, but she didn't know where they were. She thought of her dear brother. She missed him. She wished she could see him again and he could muss her hair like he always did. She wanted to warn him but knew that was impossible. Maybe he would be one of the lucky ones who wouldn't suffer much.

"Mighty Caesar, a package has arrived for you, via the Mojave Express."

"A package?" Caesar frowned. He didn't exactly receive fan mail.

"Give it to me, Vulpes."

It was a small cardboard box. Caesar opened it. The box contained two items: The Platinum Chip and a small hand written note.

"Alea Iacta Est."

"What does it mean?"

"The die is cast..." He looked reflectively outside the Penthouse window.

"Our old courier friend has returned. And it seems, he's crossed his own Rubicon.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Scipio Africanus burst through the doors of the Dino Dee-Lite Hotel and almost collapsed on the floor. He breathed heavily, trying to regain his breath. He'd never run that fast, that far, in his entire life. He'd run as if a thousand malevolent demons had been chasing after him. Behind him scarcely a dozen men followed him in, the rest of his men had succumbed to the Cloud. Their agonized cries haunted him and motivated him to run faster.

"Lock the door!" Someone shouted.

He looked out the window as saw waves of the crimson cloud blow by. It was but faint lines for now. The main body of the Cloud was behind them, but it would be upon this settlement very soon.

Scipio ignored Jeanie May Crawford, trying to sound pleasant despite how surprised she was. Reaching past her he grabbed her radio. He changed the frequency.

"Mars Unum. Mars Unum. This is Numidia Unum."

He waited for the reply. He vaguely heard shouting from outside, people shouting to get inside and hide.

"Numidia Unum. This is Mars Unum. Go ahead."

He swallowed, every transmission had to be in code, the NCR might be listening.

"We have... relocated from Lake Trasimene and have established ourselves at Novaculum."

"Why?" The other voice sounded surprised.

"Owing to... abnormal weather conditions."

"Standby Numidia Unum."

He waited again.

"What's going on? Is that a dust storm?" Jeanie-May Crawford asked.

"The kind of dust storms they have in hell." Scipio replied.

"Fuck that. I bet you the NCR is behind this shit, somehow." One of his Legionaries suggested.

"Fuck the NCR. They could've never pulled shit like this off."

The radio burst to life and the men stopped their argument.

"Numidia Unum! Why the fuck did you abandon position? For a fucking dust storm!? You're a fucking disgrace! The Legion never retreats. Never in the face in the enemy. And certainly fucking not in the face of a fucking wind storm! Centurion, are there any Legionaries with you now?"

"Yes, Caesar." Scipio's voice trembled ever so slightly.

"Legionaries, this is Julius Augustus Octavian Caesar, son of Mars. I order you to relieve Centurion Scipio Africanus of command and re-establish a position at Cottonwood Cove. Now!"

Scipio turned to face his men. The Cloud gently embraced the settlement of Novac, quietly, peacefully, in contrast to the action that unfolded in the lobby of the Dino Dee-Lite hotel.

Ricardo Estevez screamed in surprise when the Deathclaw ran past him. He hadn't seen it coming. His legs buckled in shock and he fell on the ground, struggling to ready his rifle. But the Deathclaw ignored him, continuing to run Northwards.

"What the fuck?"

He rose to his feet and saw other creatures fleeing, other Deathclaws, Geckos, Coyotes, ignoring him completely. He looked to the South and saw what they were fleeing from. A vast crimson cloud, stretching as far as his eyes could see, moving closer. The Cloud had reached the town of Novac, where he'd stayed the night before. This wasn't an ordinary dust storm. If even Deathclaws were running away, it made sense for him to do the same. Forgetting the abandoned shack he'd come to prospect he ran northwards, towards the first building he saw, Helios One.

He ran at a brisk pace, he didn't have far to run. Hopefully the doors weren't locked. He could pick a lock, but only if he was calm. He tended to lose his focus when his heartbeat got rose too much. He continued to run, refusing to look back. As he got closer and closer to Helios One, the more his fear diminished and hope rose. This looked like a great place to ride out the storm. His pace slowed as he reached the perimeter of Helios One. As he did so he heard an electronic buzzing. He didn't have time to register the ghostly apparition appearing before him, shooting lasers, for it happened in the blink of an eye. The first burst hit him dead on and he disintegrated, joining dozens of other ash piles nearby. The Hologram, sensing no other targets, vanished.

General James Hsu didn't believe the reports until he went outside. Through a pair of binoculars he saw a great crimson cloud advancing northward through the wasteland. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Reports from Rangers indicated it was toxic and wasteland animals were fleeing. At least one Ranger patrol had been lost when the Cloud had come over them. Listening to their last transmissions terrified him, filled him with a foreboding dread he'd never experienced before. He couldn't let it affect him. He maintained his almost supernatural calm as he always did; only it required more effort. It was one thing to deal with known obstacles like Fiends and the Legion, quite another when dealing with unknown ones. His instincts told him whatever this was, it was big, the biggest thing to happen to the wasteland since Oliver had lost Hoover Dam.

He went back inside and radioed NCR high command. Once inside his office he sighed. He didn't like talking to high command. He knew he had no alternative.

"This is Mojave One reporting to NCR One."

He waited before his transmission was acknowledged. The cracking voice on the other end didn't sound familiar. Good. Maybe he was off-duty.

"NCR One, I have a sitrep. Is as follows..."

He was halfway through delivering his report when he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Well, looks like the Brahmin fucker is having a hard time with the weather." General Oliver patronized.

Hsu cursed silently.

"With all due respect, sir, I believe that this is..."

"It's just a dust storm. What's the matter? Scared of getting your clothes dirty? Dammit *Colonel*, we're trying to win back the Mojave and you're getting scared of the fucking wind." Hsu buried his face in his hands.

"Sir, this isn't a regular storm. This is some kind of pre-war tech."

Oliver laughed mockingly. "They couldn't control the weather in those days. What's your next excuse? Aliens? Talking Deathclaws?"

"These aren't excuses!" Hsu almost barked back.

"Sounds like an excuse to me. I've seen your casualty reports. Rather high considering the forces you've been given. And especially given how I kept casualties low during my time in the Mojave."

Hsu sighed angrily. Oliver was the only one who could make his blood boil. The gall of that man, bragging about keeping casualties low when his cowardice and incompetence had been one of the biggest factors in losing Hoover Dam. He had to try to rise above the pettiness, to focus on the job at hand.

"General, I have a recommendation to make I'd appreciate if you'd pass it along to the Council."

"What recommendation is that?"

"Withdraw from the Mojave."

He heard only silence, but he could imagine Oliver, thousands of miles away, laughing in derision.

It wasn't until Caesar looked out the window that he realized this was far more than any dust storm. It was still several miles away, but due to its size it could be seen with the naked eye. From a high vantage point like the Lucky 38's Penthouse, it was even larger. He'd lost contact with dozens of Legionary camps and outpost. His transmission from Scipio Africanus had been the only transmission he'd received regarding the Cloud. He didn't quite regret losing his temper at Scipio, he knew sending out his men to repossess Cottonwood Cove was suicide, but he could see no other way. The Legion didn't retreat.

_Pride __goeth__ before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall_ he heard a familiar voice say. He turned around, expecting to see his old Legate standing before him. Instead he saw only a Legionary Recruit standing immobile, his personal assistant. He needed to fight the Cloud, but how? He looked out the window and his regard turned Northwards when the epiphany came to him.

"Get me Vulpes."

He came as summoned, wearing his customary Legionary outfit and Fox helm.

"I have a mission for you Vulpes, one perfectly suited to your skills. You are to be my emissary."

"Emissary to whom, mighty Caesar?"

The answer surprised even one as hardened and experienced as Vulpes.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Scipio Africanus dropped the transmitter. For a moment he and twelve legionaries stared back at another, uncertain looks on their faces. Jeanie-May Crawford ducked behind the desk. One of his Legionaries, a fresh faced recruit, a boy not yet 16 years old, grabbed his machete. Decanus Maximus reached for his sidearm and unloaded on the recruit. Everyone ducked. Scipio saw another young Legionary glare at him and grab his sidearm. Scipio pulled out his .44 Magnum and the Legionary's brains exploded, splattering gore and blood throughout the lobby.

Everyone caught their breaths and slowly stood, sheathing their weapons. He supposed he should've felt lucky. He wanted to thank his men, but that wasn't necessary. He knew looking at them that this was their repayment for saving their lives so many times and leading them to many victories. Disobeying a direct order from Caesar wasn't something many lived long to regret.

Scipio looked wearily out the window. He wiped the blood from his face. The Cloud was a thick miasma, obscuring all that was in sight; one could barely make out the Gift Shop just a few feet away. For now they were safe in the lobby and going outside would be folly of the most fatal nature.

"Right. Let's drag these two bodies outside. Maximus. Get ready to open the door, but only do so at the last second. Everyone else grab the bodies, strip them of food, weapons and healing items." That took a few moments, four legionaries grabbed each body by the extremity and carried to the bodies right to the door.

"On my mark Maximus open the door and toss out of the bodies. It doesn't have to be far. Just far enough outside that we can close the door. Don't breathe in or out while the door's open."

His men nodded.

"Three. Two. One. Mark." Maximus pushed open the door. A thick smell of copper invaded the room as did blooms of the Cloud. The bodies were tossed out unceremoniously. Maximus slammed the door shut.

They exhaled loudly. Thin traces of the Cloud laced in the air, hovering above them. The air smelt faintly of copper. Jeanie-May Crawford cautiously poked her head above the desk.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, her voice reeking of panic.

"We'll manage." Scipio answered. He ordered his men to begin an inventory of everything they had and everything that was in the lobby. He had to plan out how they would ration their resources and survive.

Sentenza stood atop the Helios One Observation deck, sipping from a bottle of Scotch, binoculars hanging down from his neck. In one day the Cloud had moved forward quite prodigiously, faster than the Think Tank had calculated but the progress had slowed towards the end of the day, stopping just short of Helios One. Thus far it had enshrouded much of the southern Wasteland, Searchlight, Cottonwood Cove, Nipton and Novac were gone. The South West, including Primm and Mojave Outpost had been spared so far. Seeing not only people but animals fleeing in panic had been an unexpected bonus. He'd sniped a few of them using Christine's old sniper rifle. It had been great fun seeing his holograms in action.

He'd listened to Radio Pax Romana, once known as Radio New Vegas. The airwaves had made not a single mention of the Cloud, instead continuing its dull programming of praise for Caesar and condemnation for everyone else. It was tepid listening, Decanus Iancenum was a poor replacement for Mr. New Vegas. Today had been a good day. Tomorrow was a new day and a chance to begin again. He just needed a perfect nightcap on the day's events.

He found Sarah lying despondently on the bed, reading a pre-war book. She was naked, just as he liked her. She tried to ignore him but he knew better. He mounted her forcefully from behind. Sarah kept her eyes closed while mouthing meaningless dirty talk because it pleased him. When he was finished he pulled out of her and promptly fell asleep.

Sarah crawled out of bed and went to the washroom. It wasn't as nice as the one in the Madre. She splashed some water on herself and sobbed quietly. She thought of the switchblade, currently underneath the mattress they slept on. She felt ashamed. Ashamed of being a weakling who'd fallen for a simple ruse. Ashamed of contemplating suicide. Ashamed of the pleasure she felt from the vicious ways he took her. She looked at herself in the shattered mirror. She hardly recognized herself. Dark circles hung below her eyes, traces of grey hair along her previously golden hair. She felt nauseous and her stomach churned like the rivers of Styx. She bent over the toilet and vomited, as if her own reflection sickened her. When she finished wrenching she felt a deep pain in the pit of her stomach. Looking at herself again she knew this wasn't food poisoning or anything else. She was pregnant.

Vulpes took two Legionaries with him on his mission. They were there as his protectors, although if his mission failed they would be of little help. He'd always been curious of this region of the Mojave. He'd heard legends of it. The roads were hilly and winding until finally they hit a straight away and the settlement, their destination, was now in sight. Its denizens, guardians and livestock plain to see.

"Make no aggressive moves. Keep your hands where they can see them." Vulpes instructed.

They came within 20 feet of the gates before they were ordered to stop.

"What's your business, legion scum." A deep voice barked at them.

"I am Vulpes Inculta. Caesar's emissary. He's sent me on a special mission. The entire Mojave is under threat by this... Cloud. We require your assistance."

"And what do we get in return for our assistance?"

"An immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities between our forces. Furthermore we will not assimilate you unless you wish it."

"I've heard that before."

"How can I convince you of our sincerity?"

"Kill the men with you."

"Very well."

Vulpes unceremoniously shot both of them.

"I've done as you asked. I've demonstrated good faith. Might we begin discussing more important matters?"

There was a wait before the gate keeper answered.

"I guess so, human. Welcome to Jacobstown."

The faint hints of light that crept through the Cloud told Scipio it was morning. He looked around the lobby. His men and Jeanie-May Crawford were sleeping. A few of the men had decided to relieve their stress by forcing themselves upon her. He didn't partake; relieving himself was the last thing on his mind. All he could think of was the survival of the remaining men under his command.

He looked over their rations, lying on the desk. Two dozens Sarsaparilla bottles, the same amount in dirty and purified water. A few food items of low nutritional value like Squirrel and Iguana on a stick. They had two Gecko steaks and a few sacks of healing powder. It wasn't much, rationing would have to be done very tightly. Maybe throwing the bodies out had been a rash decision. He'd slept little. He'd heard strange sounds during the night. He couldn't begin to imagine what they were. Nor did he want to.

Recruit Paxtonious stood as he awoke. They nodded to another. The Legionary stood and looked out the window. His posture changed immediately from groggy to alert.

"What the fuck?" He exclaimed.

"What is it?" Scipio asked.

"The bodies." Paxtonious said. "The bodies...they're...they're gone."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sentenza left Helios One before dawn. He ordered Rex and ED-E to meet him at the REPCONN test site. He'd done his best to secure the facility with holo-emmiters and a sentry bots, but it was such a large facility it was hard to make it entirely secure. Off they went. He pulled out his Transportal Ponder. Pulling the trigger he felt customarily dizzy for several seconds before he found himself on the SINK balcony.

Heading down to the SINK he was greeted by the personalities of the SINK. Muggy came rushing up to him.

"OH PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! TELL ME YOU BROUGHT ME SOME COFFEE CUPS!"

"No, I didn't."

"YOU FUCKING FREELOADING BASTARD! ARGH!"

"Hey, I'm just kidding." He pulled out a dozen coffee cups from his rucksack.

"DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT PISSES ME OFF?! OF COURSE YOU KNOW! THAT'S WHY YOU FUCKING DO IT!"

Sentenza couldn't disagree.

"IF YOU KEEP DOING THAT I'M GONNA PACK UP AND LEAVE AND MOVE TO HIGGS' VILLAGE!" Muggy scurried away, happy with his treasure.

He gave the chute some pencils and clipboards and gave some seeds to the Biological Research Station. He flirted with the light switches, causing them to renew their jealous bickering. He gave the toaster some toasters and pressure cookers which he ravenously devoured. He lastly got Blind Diode Jefferson to reload his sonic emitter.

"Did I ever tell you the story of John Robertson? Finest Holo-Guitar player ever. Sold his sold to the Devil at the Crossroads so he could play like no man alive... Either that, or it was the radiation that gave him six fingers."

Then he visited the Think Tank. They greeted him enthusiastically, especially when he flicked his fingers at Dala. Over in the corner stood a young man with a collar around his neck and white scrubs. He was the Think Tank's "personal assistant." Big Mountain was now home to dozens of other personal assistants, who'd slaved the past several months rebuilding Big Mountain to its former condition, and beyond. Many of these were former slaves he'd purchased from slavers; others were people he found lonely wandering the Wasteland.

"The canister of weaponized Substance HBDS3423 is ready to be transported back to the Mojave." Dr. 0 informed him.

"Further Holotapes for the Matter Conversion device have been created." Dr. Borous informed. Dozens of Holotapes were neatly placed on a table.

He thanked them. Then he went up to speak to Klein.

"Nice to see you." Klein hovered over to a digital map of the Mojave. It gave a detailed readout of the Cloud's spread as well as weather conditions.

"Yesterday's advanced was aided by local weather patterns. At 1534 hours the X-17's power source hit a spike and power output had to be reduced by 43.43%. Additional reactors are being installed, but they won't be online for another 16 hours and 34 minutes. "

"How are the X-17 Antennas holding out?"

To aid in the dispersal of the Cloud, he'd installed dozens of special, very well camouflaged antennas throughout the Mojave. Using the same technology that brought the Cloud to the Mojave and the storms of the Divide it was able to affect's the Cloud's course.

"All are operating within parameters. I'm quite pleased with how everything has unfolded so far." Klein stated.

That was good news. So far everything was going according to plan, minor hiccups aside. A promising start to his new world order. He grabbed the canister which contained the Cloud. It was about the size of an old fire extinguisher. He said goodbye to the personalities in the SINK and then exited onto the balcony.

Big Mountain was an impressive sight now. It looked like a small city, no more ruined buildings. The tram wasn't repaired yet and the train tracks still needed to be cleared. It was a vast improvement upon how he first found the facility. Upon arriving here and first learning of its secrets he saw the infinite potential of the place. Elijah had told him of this place. Elijah had planted the seed, but it was he who'd unleashed Big MT's full potential.

There was a thick trail of Crimson seeping up from the X-17 Meteorological Station and funnelling towards the Mojave, like a snake in the sky. He entered in some coordinates on his Transportal Ponder and found himself at the REPCONN test site.

Rex and ED-E found him as he made his way towards the launching bay. A rocket was ready for launch, needing only its deadly cargo. The hull of the rocket had always been here, but was missing most of its internal components. It was the fusion of various flotsam and jetsam, the fuel came from the last of Cliff Briscoe's rocket souvenirs, the advanced electronics were found within the missile silos of the Divide.

A Mr. Handy came to him and informed him it was ready for launch, missing only the _piece de resistance_. He climbed a scaffolding ladder and walked to the nose section, a flap was open. He came upon it and looked into the half filled compartment. He placed the canister in the compartment, next to the explosive warhead. He wished there was some way to capture this portentous moment, for it to be remembered centuries from now. The Mojave was his to transform and shape, and when he was finished, his name would be inscribed in letters so large even the blind could see.

"So you want us to do your dirty work?"

"You would have our assistance, should you wish it. This would benefit all who inhabit the Mojave, yourselves included. Should you succeed, you would never worry of further harassment. You know how stable and safe Legion lands are east of here. We can bring the same to the Mojave, with your help."

Vulpes fought hard to maintain his customary grace and composure. It was one thing to remain calm when dealing with various tribal degenerates. Quite another when surrounded by a dozen Super Mutants and Nightkin. He'd been beyond shocked to find another human here. A doctor working, vainly most likely, on a cure for Nightkin Schizophrenia.

"How do we know you won't betray us?" Marcus asked.

"I admit we haven't fostered a reputation for honesty. However, recent events have changed our outlook. Conquering Hoover Dam cost us many troops. We recognize this Cloud is an existential threat. If you help us, we would be forever grateful, for we would owe our existence to your help. The Legion's gratitude can have tangible benefits for your community. We could relocate any Mutants or Nightkin to your settlement here, we can encourage traders to come by, and we offer Legion protection should any degenerates harass you. As we expand, your settlement could become a full fledged city."

Marcus had to admit that sounded like a good offer. It wouldn't be the first time he'd be part of an effort to save the wasteland. He thought back fondly of the Chosen One from Arroyo and their time together. The world would be a much better place if more people were like him. He distrusted the Legion, like he distrusted most humans. But if this Cloud business was a bad as advertised, he had a duty to do something about it.

"How do you know we can help?"

Vulpes knew he'd succeeded, though he avoided smiling.

"The Cloud is extremely corrosive. Our analysis suggests your skin would make you more resistant to its effects."

"Alright. We're in. Any idea how we can stop it?"

"We have some leads. While this phenomenon may seem supernatural, we believe it's being directed by human hands. Does the name Sentenza mean anything to you?"

"Yes. He came by here a few months ago. Made me pay 3, 000 caps to get rid of some mercs harassing us. Then he killed them and ran off with my caps. He's behind this?"

"We believe so. He... sent a message to Caesar days before this cloud appeared, this message was clearly from him and demonstrated grand intentions of sort. Many weeks ago he was seen in Novac, making a large purchase of unusual items. Pre-war toys which apparently contain some kind of igniting agent. In recent days, several legionaries have been lost patrolling areas near to the REPCONN test site and Helios One. We believe he's also linked to the disappearance of the proprietor of Vault 21."

"How do you know NCR aren't the ones killing your legionaries?"

"We've yet to find evidence of the NCR operating that far East. They're too localized for it to be NCR. The NCR likes to vary where they set ambushes."

"So you think Sentenza is based in Helios One or REPCONN."

"Correct."

"I'll get a team together. We'll leave tomorrow."

"Excellent. Do you want any assistance?"

"No. We'll let you know when we succeed. Goodbye, human."

Vulpes stood and shook the hand of the mutant leader. As his hand was smothered by the mutant's, the ground shook violently. A loud crash followed, it was the loudest sound Vuples had ever heard. A shockwave hit the lodge like it was a giant sledgehammer.

"Looks like we need to hurry." Marcus dryly quipped.

Caesar gazed out the window of the Luck 38. He'd forbidden any discussion of the Cloud but that hadn't stopped the news from spreading. The Strip was virtually empty. There was a trail of people fleeing eastward via the Dam. A few were trying to flee back west, but even if they made it to Mojave Outpost making it back to California wouldn't be easy, with the Long 15 have been nuked back to the Great War. There was only one real route out of the Mojave, and that was Hoover Dam.

The nuking of the Long 15 meant that the NCR's position here was extremely precarious, but so far he hadn't been able to force them off that position. That also meant that an eventual road into California would have to be through another route. With the Cloud, going further south wasn't advisable; they'd have to hook north somewhere and then head back south. A detour that significant would cost thousands of miles and just as many lives.

He'd convinced the Vegas Families of the importance of staying on the Strip, a demonstration that nothing was out of the ordinary. But he felt they wouldn't be convinced for long if the Cloud approached any closer. It's one of many reasons why Vulpes' mission was critically important. The entire future of the legion relied on his Frumentarii.

He looked upon the strip and the giant banner now flying at the base of the Lucky 38, erected before their triumph through New Vegas. The banner was of a golden bull on a red background, purple lace framed the bull. 15 Gems were stitched into the banner and it glittered in the sun. He closed his eyes.

_And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. _

He shook his head and opened his eyes. There were times he could his voice as if he were there by his side. He didn't see the Malpais Legate in his palace. He'd been seeing him in his dreams of late. Dreams of a great fire beast that consumed his empire, a fire beast named Joshua Graham. He looked to the South and to the crimson Cloud. What kind of pre-war tech did that courier find? Seeing his empire threatened by another pre-war ghost further convinced him of the correctness of his mission. He had to defeat the Cloud. There was no option for failure or retreat.

He saw a faint flash of light. Then he saw a small object, leaving a trail of black smoke shoot upward with unbelievable speed. A missile? Here, in the Mojave? It rose high in the sky and then angled downward. Caesar swore in horror when he saw where it was heading. A great blinding light was soon matched with a loud bang, the Lucky 38 trembled to its very foundations, windows cracked and shattered. Lights flickered and then extinguished. Caesar fell and for the briefest of moments, saw Joshua Graham's face in the mushroom cloud.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The missile launched from Helios One arced in the sky and headed with divine purpose towards its destination. Hoover Dam. It bore into the Dam before detonating. The Cloud was ejected outward like magma from a volcano. For a time the Cloud seemed to take the shape of a winged serpent. Anything far enough to be unaffected by the blast was consumed by the cloud. The warhead's impact created fissures within the dam's structure. At first these fissures were nothing more than hairline fractures. But as the reverberations of the impact resonated throughout the facility these fissures grew to large cracks. Water seeping in through these cracks further increased their size. Water flooded into the facility, drowning those who hadn't been incinerated, and finally burst out the other side. Leaks turned into torrents, tearing the structure apart. Great sections of the Dam peeled away from the main structure, like scabs from an unhealed wound. The Dam, one of the greatest structures ever built by man, disintegrated, flooding the valleys below, drowning any who weren't yet suffocated by the Cloud.

General James Hsu rushed out of the office and onto the roof. He borrowed the binoculars from Ranger Ghost. It felt like an earthquake. That's what most of the troops thought. But Hsu's instincts told him it was something different. Seeing the Cloud rising high in the sky, miles away, he knew what had happened. He also noticed the Cloud was beginning to advance northward, though their position was safe for now.

"A missile's hit the Hoover Dam."

"Fuck me." Ranger Ghost exclaimed.

"Under normal circumstances I'd discipline you for using such unprofessional language."

"Won't happen again, sir."

"See to it that it doesn't."

Hsu walked back inside. Once in his office he calmly closed his door. Upon shutting the door he violently punched the wall, piercing a wide hole through an NCR propaganda poster and the decayed drywall. _The Legion Awaits at the Gates of Hell_. The Dam was gone. All the men and women he'd fought with, bled with, all those who'd died in the past five years, all that was for nothing. Years of his life, years of hard work, dedication, stress, sacrifice, the disintegration of his marriage, watching men and women die... It was all for naught, meaningless.

He opened the door to his office. He walked to his signals officer.

"Signal all troops out in the field to return here ASAP. Send a signal to NCR High Command. Tell them Hoover Dam has been destroyed, the Mojave's been invaded with some kind of deadly, toxic cloud. Tell them we're evacuating. There's no reason for us to be here."

He ordered his men to begin evacuating, he then went to the canteen and bought himself a bottle of Whiskey.

"What the fuck was that?" Legionary Paxtonius asked, urinating into the safe that was rapidly becoming unbearably pungent in odour.

"An explosion." Scipio said.

"Pretty fucking big one. What could've caused it?" Decanus Maximus asked.

"A pre-war ICBM." Scipio answered.

His men nodded, that made the most sense.

"Where do you think it hit?" Paxtonius asked.

"Somewhere Northeast of here...holy fuck!" Maximus exclaimed.

"The Dam." Scipio's voice full of dread.

Instead of heading out the next day, Marcus and his motley band set out hours after the warhead hit. He was leading a team of 15 Mutants and Nightkin, including Lily and Keene. He was yielding his old P-94 Turbo Plasma Rifle. It brought back memories. The rest in his band were carrying various other oversized weapons; miniguns, Gatling Lasers, Super Sledges, and Heavy Incinerators. Vulpes has run off immediately after the explosion. Marcus was glad he was gone.

The explosion had an immediate effect. Streams of refugees were fleeing New Vegas. Men, women, young and old, healthy and not. Many of these were Legion deserters wearing ill fitting clothing to conceal their true identity. They were easy to spot owing to their pristine physical condition, in comparison to the decrepit and malnourished state of many of the locals.

Some were heading North, speaking of the fabled land of Zion, others of New Reno, others had no idea where they going, only setting sight on a particular direction and hoping for the best. A tiny minority were heading south, hoping to reach California. But if the advancing Cloud didn't kill them, other things would.

Wasteland beasts weren't exempt from the exodus. Marcus found it surreal to see a pack of Nightstalkers fleeing past a family with a pack Brahmin without paying them the slightest heed. During their trek they ran into Meansonofabitch, who eagerly joined their party. By dusk they'd come to Sharecropper farms. New Vegas was a city of ghosts before the Cloud had even arrived; only the hardiest, or rashest, of the Legion remained.

"Caesar? Are you alright?" A couple of Legionaries rushed to Caesar upon exiting the elevator. Caesar was on his knees, recovering from the explosion, coughing up dust. He tried to stand on his own, waving his men away, but shock caused his knees to buckle. The Legionaries took a step towards him but Caesar swore at them. They remained standing, watching in nervous demoralization as their warlord gingerly stood, his knees trembling, his face bloodied, his robes covered in dust.

"I want a scouting party to go to the Dam, to assess the damage." He ordered. "As soon as Vulpes returns I want him here. Henceforth, any Legionaries caught deserting, or contemplating desertion, is to be flayed and crucified. Lastly, summon Legatus Lanius. Go!"

Sentenza jumped with ecstatic joy, watching his missile fly towards Hoover Dam. Through his binoculars he was rapturous with glee as the Cloud spread from the explosion site, as the Dam disintegrated. The Mojave was well on its way to begin again. He noted the Cloud beginning to advance onward. The solar panels from Helios One powered a special electromagnetic forcefield developed in Big Mountain. This forcefield protected Helios One and REPCONN from the corrosive effects of the Cloud. Allowing him and Sarah to live in safety and comfort while the Mojave underwent its metamorphosis. He went back inside Helios One. He saw found Sarah in the bedroom, hurriedly removing her clothes.

"Were you wearing clothes?" He asked.

"No." Sarah shook her head, tears forming in her eyes.

"I think you were." He answered, beginning to untie his pants.

"No, I wasn't, I swear."

"Then why is your old Vault outfit just over there?"

She had no answer.

"On your knees." Sarah sobbed as she assumed the position.

She cried out in pain as he violently took her from behind. So violent was he that she bled. He ignored he pained please to stop. Sentenza stared at the wall with vacant blues eyes, fresh images of destruction playing over and over in his mind. When he was finally, mercifully finished, her blood and his semen mingled on the bedsheets.

Scipio stared out the window, seeing nothing but crimson dust. All his men were scared, so scared none of them had bothered to attack Jeanie-May Crawford. When he'd first arrived here, he had hopes that this situation would blow over in a few days. He realized how hopelessly naive that hope had been.

"Hey! You took an extra sip of water!" Maximus shouted at Paxtonious.

"Bullshit man. If anything you took an extra sip. And so what if I did? We're in some pretty bad shit now, man! What are we supposed to do now? What the fuck are we gonna do, huh? It's Game over, man. Game over."

Maximums punched Paxtonius in the face, sending a half-filled bottle of water tumbling to the ground, emptying its precious contents. The other men cheered the two combatants as they threw their fists and grappled with another.

"Stop it!" Scipio yelled.

Paxtonious turned pleading towards Scipio, expecting his compatriot to stop. Scipio watched helplessly as Maximus pulled out his .357 Magnum and blew Paxtonious' brains onto the wall.

"You disobeyed me! You killed him! Your own blood brother!" Scipio yelled.

"I just ensured our own survival." Maximus calmly intoned. "His flesh will feed us for many days. Unless you'd prefer to starve."

Scipio shuddered and turned away. The camaraderie, the sense of brotherhood that had united his men was gone. It was every man for himself now. Looking outside, he saw a pair of red, glowing eyes, staring back at him out of the crimson gloom.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Vulpes came out of the Lucky 38's elevators. He was hoarse and almost out of breath, he hadn't stopped running since he left Jacobstown. Having to climb up the stairs to the penthouse hadn't helped. All power was out. He was relieved to see his warlord still alive. The accounts of the devastation of the missile and the continued advance of the Cloud worried him.

"I have returned mighty Caesar. The mutants will fight for us."

Caesar said nothing, continuing to stare out broken windows towards a land being enshrouded.

"Caesar?"

"Meet with Lanius. He's waiting with two hundred legionaries. You are to storm Helios One and kill Sentenza."

Vulpes said nothing.

"Did you hear my orders?" A dash of anger was present.

"Caesar?"

"Yes, Vulpes." Impatient.

"Hoover Dam has been destroyed. The Cloud is advancing rapidly. It will be upon the strip in a matter of hours. We must evacuate."

"Evacuate where?"

"Back to the east. Where we belong."

"Retreat?" Caesar turned and faced his Frumentarii, his eyes bloodshot, full of uncomprehending rage.

"The Legion does not retreat, Vulpes. Have you forgotten that so quickly? This Cloud is driven by a man. We kill that man, we kill this fucking Cloud."

Vulpes hesitated.

"You have your orders, Vulpes. Unless you wish to receive what you so often have given, fill them out. Go!"

"As you wish."

Vulpes met Lanius east of the abandoned Gun Runners factory. Lanius was standing before fifty or so legionaries. The road towards Lanius was littered with bodies of Legion dead, Caesar's drastic orders for deserters weren't being followed to the letter.

"I was told you had two hundred soldiers at your command." Vulpes said.

Through his unique helm, Lanius looked down upon Vulpes for some time before answering. Vulpes' nerves twitched.

"Caesar, it seems, can no longer count."

"It seems there's much he cannot do. He wants us to attack, to coordinate with the mutants."

"Folly, for the mutants have already advanced into the Cloud. There is only death in the Cloud, there is no foe to fight. No honour to be had, no glory to be gained. We can only hope to gain our deaths, a dishonourable death."

"A death not just of ourselves, but of the entire Legion." Vulpes completed.

The two men looked at another, though vastly different in temperament and methods, they agreed.

"We should gather all who remain and return East."

Lanius nodded. "Caesar's will is broken, but not that of the Legion. We have neglected our homeland for too long. But there is something to be decided first."

"Which is?"

"Which among us will lead the Legion."

Lanius unsheathed Blade of the East. Stained with blood, it reflected the sun.

"It's time to fight honourably, if it's possible for an honourless, treacherous worm as you to do so."

"The only honour is in victory." Vulpes pulled out his Ripper, the motor buzzed menacingly.

The two men faced another, pacing from side to side, their weapons ready, waiting for the other to make the first mistake.

Vulpes lunged towards Lanius, his arm extended. Lanius easily avoided the attempt. He swung his blade but Vulpes ducked, avoiding its deadly trajectory. The follow through left Lanius vulnerable, if only for an instant. Vulpes lunged again, but Lanius' deftly avoided him. Lanius swung his blade. Vulpes countered the blow with his Ripper. The teeth frittered uselessly against the blade, straining the motor. Lanius recoiled, he spun and struck again, his blow hitting Vulpes' wrist. The blow caused Vulpes to cry out in pain and he dropped the Ripper. Lanius kicked the weapon out of reach, he circled the weaponless Frumentarii. Even facing death, Vulpes' demeanor remained calm and unflappable.

"For too long your existence has sullied the honour of the Legion. While we have lost greatly, today is also a great victory, for the Legion's honour is redeemed, with your death, desert dog. Mars will be happy with my sacrifice."

Vulpes rushed Lanius, trying to tackle him to the ground. Lanius side-stepped him and swung his blade. It connected with Vulpes' face, slicing through his forehead like it was rotten meat. Vulpes' lifeless, though still twitching, body landed roughly on the ground. Blood mixed with sand and the substance eerily resembled the Cloud.

Scipio had barely registered the presence of the glowing eyes before a pair became two, two become three. Then they rushed towards the window.

"Weapons ready!"

Scipio backed away from the window and readied his .44 Magnum. His other soldiers hadn't yet begun scrambling when three figures wearing NCR Ranger Armour burst through the windows. One figure landed upon Decanus Maximus, stabbing him violently. Scipio fired on the Ghost Ranger with his Magnum, three shots impacted in his chest before it fell away. Maximus pushed the body off of him.

One Legionary was already dead. A recruit and a ghost attacked another with their machetes. The Recruit's blows were frantic, desperate while the Ghost's strikes were surgical but nonetheless savage. Both were landing blows but the Ghost Ranger was impervious to the slashes it was receiving. The Ghost stabbed it's blade through the Legionary's neck, killing him.

Maximus grabbed his rifle and unloaded on the second Ghost Ranger. Bullets ripped through its mid section with no effect, it continued to attack and claimed another victim. Maximus' clip emptied. He swore as he reloaded. What thing could withstand such an attack at close range? Scipio watched in horror as a Ghost Ranger, one previously through to have been killed by Maximus, rose and slit Maximus' throat unawares. Scipio unloaded two bullets on that Ghost Ranger.

He reloaded and when he looked up he saw two Ghost Rangers rush towards him. He fired five shots, all them were headshots. Though they were dead their momentum carried them forward and collapsed on top of Scipio, pinning him against the wall. Jeanie-May Crawford screamed and ran outside. Her screaming was suddenly cut off and her body dragged away by hands unseen.

Scipio coughed. The Cloud was rushing into the lobby and seeping into his lungs. He could hear distant sounds of weapons fire, but other sounds, sounds of feet walking on the sand. He exhaled one last time before aiming the pistol at his head and pulling the trigger.

Marcus and his mutants found the Cloud an irritant and an obstacle. With the wind blowing against them it was difficult to see. Wearing goggles helped, but only marginally. His entire body itched, but he knew better than to scratch. They moved following compass readings and familiar landmarks. They followed the road religiously.

Marcus was the first to see something in the Cloud. Something was moving. He saw a pair of red glowing eyes moving towards them.

"Weapons ready!" Marcus had to yell to make himself heard.

He saw a figure, human, wearing NCR Ranger Armour, stumbling, almost dancing towards them. Marcus opened with his Turbo Plasma Rifle. Two bursts hit the figure before it incinerated into a pile of yellow goo. He looked behind, to ensure they were all together.

"Lily! Behind you!"

A figure, this one wearing Legion armour and yellow glowing eyes attacked Lily with a spear. Lily spun around and whacked the Ghost with her propeller blade. After two strikes the Ghost fell prone on the ground.

"Keep your eyes sharp everyone!"

Marcus had scarcely uttered those words when the figure resurrected and resumed attacking Lily. Lily's next blow decapitated the Ghost. For a long time the party stared at the headless body, expecting it to reanimate.

"Looks like we know how to kill those... things!" Keane shouted.

"Let's keep going! Keep your eyes open!" Marcus led them onward.

They walked for a dozen meters before an explosion rattled them. Marcus looked behind, a grenade had exploded in their party, killing Meansonofabitch and a two other Mutants. The offending Ghost was spotted, and incinerated in a loud burst of fire from a Gatling Laser.

Marcus saw a pair of yellow eyes rushing towards him at incredible speed. He jumped away at the last instant. The Ghost Deathclaw missed his lunge, but turned towards another Mutant who hadn't been as alert. The Deathclaw killed the Mutant with little ceremony but bullets from a Minigun tore it to pieces before it could inflict any more casualties. Marcus could see more and more eyes in the distance coming towards them.

"Nightkin! Engage your Stealthboys. Follow me towards Helios One. The rest of you, head back towards the bridge and hold your position there!"

They made their way through what had been El Dorado Dry Lake, they could see the towers of the Helios One. As they neared it concentrations of the Cloud decreased. The change was dramatic. Helios One came into full view when Marcus heard an electronic buzzing. A ghostly red image appeared. Marcus ducked behind a rock as it began shooting lasers. Marcus had no idea what that thing was. The lasers bounced off the rock covering him. The fire was continuous, giving Marcus no chance to find better cover. Marcus blindly fired his Plasma Rife but the firing had no effect, the Hologram continued to fire at him.

"Nightkin! Get in there, while I'm distracting it!" He yelled. He saw the ghostly outlines of the Nightkin rush towards the doorway.

A few seconds later the door's lock was picked. Keene was the first of the Nightkin to enter Helios One. He filed in and 7 other Nightkin followed him in. They kept their Stealthboys active. Keene was the first who heard the low growling sound. The Cyberdog Rex rushed into the entry, having detected the entry of the Nightkin. It leapt onto Lily, gnawing at her. Lily tried to fight off the determined cyberdog as it viciously gnawed it her. The fighting caused Lily to fall and in doing so deactivated her Stealthboy. There was a buzzing and three holograms activated and opened fire upon Lily, incinerating her.

Rex leapt onto another Nightkin. The Nightkin fell outside, rolling on the ground his Stealthboy deactivated. The hologram that had been firing on Marcus changed targets. Marcus took his chance. He ran as fast as he could, but not heading for the front or even side entrance. He tore through the fence, and made his way to the back entrance, avoiding the patrolling Sentry Bots.

Keene opened up with his Minigun on Rex, killing it. The holograms disappeared but two Nightkin had been killed. Whatever these defenses were, they could only respond to visual cues.

Keene stepped into the entryway when he heard a strange music playing. He saw a robot, hovering in the air at the end of the hallway. It began firing, though blindly, Keene ducked back behind the wall as the laser bursts whizzed by him. Keene grabbed a plasma grenade from his belt and threw it down the hallway. The grenade detonated, the explosion and concussion frying ED-E's computer systems. It fell with a dull clunk on the ground.

Sentenza had been asleep when the fighting awoke him. He salt bolt upright in the bed.

"Somebody's inside!" He said it with relish, not concern. He hurriedly changed into his Elite Riot Armour. He ignored her as he changed. As casually as she could, she turned away from him and reached under the mattress. Her hands soon found the switchblade she'd hidden. She grasped it firmly in her hands. She pressed the button to activate the blade. The mattress muffled the sound. She turned; he was donning the chest piece. She spun, with the knife in her hand she lunged towards him. Her arm held high as the blade plunged downward. In slow motion she saw the blade descend downward, slowly nearing his exposed flesh.

And then he was gone. In the blink of an eye he sidestepped her blow, the momentum caused her to fall face first on the floor, and the blade fell out of her hand. Hitting the floor stung her, but not as much as Sentenza's derisive laughter. He took the blade away.

"That's good, Sarah, really good! You think I didn't know you had a switchblade hiding under the mattress? Ha! I knew you'd use it eventually, I'd figured you'd use it on yourself first before me. I guess you're stronger than I thought. But not by much. Stay here. We're gonna have some fun with a capital F when I get back."

He donned his helmet, grabbed a camouflage painted Marskman Carbine and rushed out.

Keene and the five remaining Nightkin walked cautiously down the corridor. There was no telling what other technological traps this place was hiding. Keene saw the shadow of a human figure around the corner. Before any of them had a chance to react a grenade was thrown in the middle of the hallway. Keene dove forward, and the force of the blast propelled him forward even further, skidding along the ground.

Sentenza opened up with his All-American, laying down a heavy fire of AP bullets. He saw the shadowy outlines of the Nightkin, even though his Holo-Emitters couldn't. A couple of the Nightkin's Stealthboys deactivated, the Holograms materialized and began firing upon them, vaporizing them.

Keene's Stealthboy was still active. The human wasn't more than few meters in front of him. He groaned and began crawling towards him. Standing up would reveal his position. The human reloaded, Keene tried to increase his crawling but he was wounded and progress was difficult. He groaned again. The human's head cocked in his direction. The human finished reloading and pointed the rifle in Keene's direction. Keene's last sight was of the bright flash emanating from the rifle's muzzle.

Sentenza heard nothing but silence after killing the last of the Nightkin. He waited, hearing nothing. He should've foreseen the use of enemies utilizing Stealthboys. But he hadn't anticipated Nightkin coming to attack him. He would call Dr. Klein and inform him the Holograms needed to be improved.

He began walking towards the entrance when a burst of laser fire exploded behind him. He dove for cover, but not before several bursts of laser fire hit his leg. He fell on the ground, the pain in his leg was sharp and searing, like it was ablaze. He tried to move but the leg was paralyzed. He pivoted on his back so that he might face his attacker. He readied his rifle when it was thrown out of his hands but the hulking Super Mutant he recognized as Marcus.

Marcus grabbed Sentenza, picked him up and threw him down the hallway, like he was nothing but a rag doll. He landed violently, breaking his other leg and a few other bones. Sentenza coughed blood. He struggled to remove his helmet. Marcus walked slowly towards him, his eyes filled with rage.

"Time to die, human." Marcus vowed. He aimed his Turbo Plasma Rifle at the Holo-Emitters and destroyed them.

Sentenza reached into his pockets and retrieved a small device. He depressed the button. A loud explosion echoed from further in the facility, the control room where countless computer terminals had been active. There was another, smaller explosion that came from Sentenza's armory that destroyed the TransportalPonder's circuitry.

Sentenza coughed out blood trying to laugh, but the tone of his garbled laughter was unmistakable.

"What's so funny, human?"

"You're too late to stop... The Cloud... can't be controlled...from here...anymore... The Mojave...will...begin again... because of me."

Marcus spat upon Sentenza and unloaded and entire clip on Sentenza's ashes.

Marcus walked further in the facility. He heard the sound of a woman weeping. He came to its source. He saw a human woman in a blue jumpsuit, a slave collar around her neck, sobbing on a bed. She looked broken but faint traces of hope were in her eyes.

"Is he dead?"

"Yes."

She rushed and hugged the mutant. It wasn't something the mutant was used to experiencing but he didn't push her away.

"Will everything be okay?"

Marcus thought before answering.

"No, it won't."

Caesar looked out from the Lucky 38 tower. With his binoculars he'd seen his troops desert to the east. The strip was empty, as was Freeside, Westside, anywhere the eye could see. The Cloud was encroaching upon the southern walls of New Vegas. Through his binoculars Caesar could see ghostly silhouettes dancing. He stared with bloodshot eyes. A few months ago he'd walked through these streets in triumph. A city of lights, a city that would be the foundations of a new culture. And now his crowning glory was nothing but a city of death, where only ghosts lived. He stared for some time, listening to the howling wind, watching the Cloud come towards him before he descended stairs that led to the ground floor.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue 

Edward Sallow emerged from the cave and almost fell to his knees. The peaks, the valleys, the pristine rivers, he'd never seen such natural beauty. He walked cautiously, keeping his rifle ready. He dealt with a few ants and geckos that crossed his path. Thirsting, he made his way downhill until he came to the river. He looked at his reflection in the clear waters. His face was haggard, unshaven, filled with cuts, bruises and scars. His once regal robes were little more than scarlet rags. Ravenously he drank, having never tasted water so pure. He choked and coughed violently. His system hadn't tasted water in days and wasn't used to such purity.

He continued his exploration of this lush valley. Wildlife was rampant and plant life was equally rich, meaning he could never go hungry here. He could find no recent trace of human habitation. Perhaps this was a good place to live out of the rest of his days, a chance to begin again. He came to a large ledge with a beautiful overlook of the valley. He climbed upon the ledge; it would be difficult for most animals to reach him here yet there was enough room for him to move around in his sleep and stash supplies. Leaning against a rock he fell asleep, exhaustion taking hold.

He walked as if on air. He saw himself in a circle with other people, by a fire pit. Sound...Then... speech, human speech. It was like his younger days, an interpreter for the Followers of the Apocalypse. He saw himself, speaking with members of the Blackfoot, though they spoke back in a tongue he didn't understand.

A sharp pain drove him from his reverie. He cried aloud and opened his eyes. Four tribals were standing over him, their spears pressing down against his hands and feet. Tattoos covered their arms and legs; they wore animal hides that covered their waists and a top piece that was like a sash. They looked upon him with hostile eyes.

A man with a deep voice, standing beyond Edward's line of sight mouthed something. The tribals parted, removing their spears, allowing Edward to see the fifth man, a man covered in white bandages, brandishing a silver-plated pistol. Edward didn't recognize him. The bandaged man approached him and knelt in front of him. His eyes bore into Edward's and Edward realized who this man was. Terror replaced blood running in his veins and found himself unable to move.

"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Remember, O Lord, The Children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem who said, 'Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation.' O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed. How happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. Do you know what it means?"

Edward said nothing, as mute as he was paralyzed.

"You do know what it means. Don't you...Don't you?"

Edward spoke, though he tried to sound defiant, his voice sounded weak and defeated.

"Et tu, Brute."

Joshua Graham raised the pistol and pointed it at Edward's head.

"Then fall, Caesar." He replied and pulled the trigger.

The End


End file.
